A/N (Updated January 2018)

Hello!

I want to include a quick note about the timeline for this story. I've got some rather large changes to canon spread throughout, so you'll notice that there are some characters missing. Don't worry, we'll get to that…

But to get started, we're picking up right where Collision Course ends, but the central conflict (the meteor plummeting toward Earth) never happened. I really struggled with the meteor plotline, and it would mess up where this story is headed anyway, so I cut it. That means that Peaches and Julian just got hitched, and it's time to go roaming!

I do not own Ice Age. If I did, movies 2-5 would have turned out very differently.

It was early when they left.

The sky overhead was still dark, and the horizon was a barely visible sliver of light.

Normally everyone would still have been sleeping, about half of their party snoring away, in the relative safety of the clearing. Their current spot, an open patch within a dense grouping of conifers and saplings, had been their temporary home these last few years. Not that it was much different than all the other places they had turned into a residence and then left.

If she was being honest, it didn't feel entirely strange for Peaches to stand, staring up at the view she'd fallen asleep to every night, and get ready for departure. They'd been through this so many times.

On these days Mom was usually up first. She'd stretch her trunk to the sky, feeling the breeze, and then go off in search of breakfast for herself and the smaller herbivores still sleeping. Then it would be Dad, rolling this way and that so that slight tremors would rock her awake if she wasn't already. Then he was up too and headed to get a drink. By the time Mom was back with leaves and dandelions wrapped in a bundle, Dad had returned too, this time growing annoyed with the sight that greeted him. While Mom got Uncle Crash and Uncle Eddie up, coaxing them down first with gentle nudges followed inevitably by threats, Dad would be muttering about Uncle Sid and stomping around trying to get him up too.

He'd never actually shaken the sloth awake, but there had been a few times the smaller mammal had awoken to the bigger one standing directly over him, a hair's breadth away. He had the best reactions.

Eventually they'd be on the trail – late, like always – and off to a new place. Family road trips always began this way.

But not this time.

This time the sky still looked purple. The sun wasn't even over the horizon yet, and today, of all mornings, it actually seemed chilly.

Peaches heard the trees moving and looked over as Uncle Crash catapulted into the clearing, easily hitting the ground running. "Manny and Ellie cornered Julian by the river, and Manny started asking a bunch of questions and then got really quiet. Julian's freaking out. Come on!"

Before she could even begin to ask for details, he'd turned and took off back into the trees. She could hear branches scrambling as he went and laughter at the fact there was trouble afoot.

Peaches ran after him, imagining her father persuading Julian that today wasn't a good day to leave, or the next day, or the next…

The three of them were standing by the river as Peaches burst from the dense pocket of trees. What little light had made it over the skyline in the last few minutes was tipping their fur in gold, a fresh start, goodwill for their journey.

"We're leaving today," Peaches said before anyone else could start trying to say otherwise. She stepped purposefully toward them. Uncle Crash had situated himself on Mom's shoulders.

"Of course you are." Dad was looking her over like he wasn't sure what she was talking about, and she might have believed him if Uncle Eddie hadn't been standing behind one of his feet, looking between Peaches and him with a concerned expression.

"So why are you bothering my husband?"

Just behind him, Julian was gazing around them in a totally obvious manner so as to diffuse tension, and despite the surge of annoyance that came with the knowledge that she was going to have to argue her way into this conversation, a deep well of affection opened at the sight of her new husband struggling to balance his loyalty to her and to her parents.

"No one's bothering anyone…"

Mom smiled at her, clearly not about to rehash whatever it was they'd been talking about. "We were just double checking your plans."

Dad snorted. "What little of them you have-"

Julian bounced over to her and wrapped his trunk around hers. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. I am." Peaches glanced at Dad. He was looking particularly taxed beyond his usual resting angry face. Mom's eyes were dim and glistened at the bottom a little, and she looked back at Julian's huge grin to remind herself that this was the right decision.

She'd foolishly thought before the wedding that the tears would be over and done with, but if she was honest, now seemed more like the time to cry than ever.

Sure, she'd been a little apprehensive in the last few days about undertaking such a long trek, but she'd also been raised to believe that she could do anything she put her mind to. After Julian had unthinkingly mentioned roaming one day, about halfway into their relationship, Peaches had told herself she was going to seize that right and go live her life. Now that it was finally time to put all of this into action and her parents weren't trying to stop them last minute, they needed to be heading out. Julian knew a place farther on, but it would take the whole day to get there. Roaming or not, getting somewhere safe by nightfall was a must.

"Mom, Dad…"

"You be careful," Dad said then, and his trunk wound around her neck and shoulders, pulling her into a hug like he had since she was a baby.

"Of course Dad," she whined, pretending like this was no big deal. For his sake. But she hugged him back for a long time.

Then it was Mom's turn, and she wrapped Peaches into a warm hug.

Then Peaches watched in delight as her parents preceded to hug Julian as well. At least, in their own ways. Mom's hug was genuine and she patted him on the head with her trunk, telling her new son to be safe. Dad's was gruffer, an objection to being pushed around by Julian's over-dramatic embrace and a grudging pat-pat-pat back on Julian's shoulder.

The possums were next, and finally, Uncle Sid. He'd wandered over during Mom's hug, and had clearly just woken up. For once, when Peaches looked into those small eyes, there was an uncharacteristic gravity there. He was sad, just like all of them, but he didn't cry like she'd been assuming. Instead, he hugged them, told them to be careful, and then silently retreated to stand by Dad.

It was unlike anything Peaches had ever seen from him before, and as Julian and she turned to leave, turning back to wave once, a strong sense of foreboding swept through her.

Her silly, crazy, immature uncle that Dad was always complaining about and picking on. Dramatic, sometimes unthinking, a sweetheart to his core. Peaches may have gotten her fearless side from Mom's brothers, but Uncle Sid taught her how to trust and love those around her unconditionally. They'd had fun together over the years, so much fun.

And here he was, frowning as they walked away, like he thought he'd never see them again.

Peaches turned back around and followed Julian into the underbrush.

Minutes passed, they walked on, on, on, to the edge of their small territory in this tiny community. Then they were walking past other animals' areas, and she thought of Louis, of how much fun they used to have, and was sad again.

It wasn't until they'd crossed the outer border between their home and the land of the rest of the continent that Peaches realized Julian knew she was upset. In fact, they'd passed four whole cocoons, and he hadn't stopped to examine a single one of them. He also hadn't remarked on how that one rock totally looked like a mud pie, and she was pretty sure he'd been about ready to bolt off the trail at one point for berries but had refrained.

As they began walking deeper into the outer sprays of the massive forest that stretched around them, Peaches took his trunk in hers and smiled. He grinned back, gently butting her head with his, and into the trees they went.

Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!